2016/5/31: Updated info based on Patch 3.9, "Viking Invasion." With the Ratatoskr rework, and since the Acorn replaces boots now, I've removed his special section in the Assassin chapter.

2016/5/5: Updated info based on Patch 3.8, "Perfect Storm." Moved References to the bottom of the guide. Updated assassin, hunter, mage, and warrior builds. Revised visuals.

2016/4/13: Updated info based on Patch 3.6, "Escape from the Underworld." Revamped the Hunter section and added both Crit and Unicorn build options. Other minor revisions (thanks Devampi).

2016/4/4: Added a section regarding using minions as a resource in the general Tips & Scenarios chapter, per great suggestion from ksvr.

2016/3/30: Updated info based on Patch 3.5, "Protect and Support."

2016/3/18: Added a specific section for Ratatoskr in the Assassin section, per suggestion from Yasanoo. Builds based on Yasanoo's suggestions and Zilby's guide.

2016/3/9-17: Updated info based on Patch 3.4, "Winter's Bite." Added additional starting options to basic-attack Assassins (thanks HadesGonnaHate for the suggestion!). Deleted Soul Eater as it is no longer an option in Assault.

2016/2/12: Changed Cloak of Unrelenting Sorrow to the new name (for what reason?), Mantle of Discord. Minor corrections/adjustments (thanks Bullfrog323!

2016/2/3-5: Season 3 Update! This is a continuing work in progress, as many things have changed, the meta is still forming, and item/god balances are likely to continue for a while. All sections have now been updated and reorganized for better flow, builds have been revised, etc. Amaterasu added to the Warrior section. Hades moved to the mage section. Relic section revamped.

2015/12/04: Added Aramey's BUGS guide and Zilby's item guide to the References section. Added Sol to the Basic Attack Mage section, and added a build example for her, based on nanoyam's guide. Other visual adjustments throughout.

2015/11/23: Added Chiron. Toned down the animated gifs some for less strain on eyes =P. Updated guide references.2015/11/4-6: Revised item info based on the 2.17 (2015/11/4) patch, "Shadows of Olympus." Added Soul Eater option in the Hunter section. Added Ao Kuang back into the basic attack Mage group, and added Zhong Kui to the Mage list (oops, thanks Floofington from Reddit!). Changed divider bars to flashier ones (literally in some cases).

2015/10/23: Minor modification to the basic attack mage builds, along with item stat updates based on recent patches.

2015/09/11: I've been unhappy with my general build suggestions for Basic Attack Assassins for a while, so after some thought, I've done a significant overhaul. Deleted a lot of unnecessarily wordy things. Added example Starting Items listings to each relevant section. Some other minor edits here and there. Updated items based on 9/22/15 ("Alien Attacks") patch.

Due to size/publishing issues, created a page solely for Guan Yu, found here:

2015/08/31: Updated items based on the 09/01 ("The Indomitable Spirit") patch. Revamped multiple general builds, and am emphasizing penetration to a greater degree/earlier in the builds. Added discussion on Blink in guardian and warrior sections. Added huge, full situational build section for Guan Yu. Removed section on Krett's Banshee Build in the hunter section, as it doesn't look like it'll ever be viable.

2015/08/18: Added gameplay video of Loki. Gave greater emphasis in build order to Heartward Amulet for guardians and warriors. Added spoiler section for specific examples of when you don't have to get Meditation/ Salvation. Added DO NOT REROLL notations for specific gods to the intro section of each class. Moved Fenrir to ability-based assassin list. Moved Ao Kuang to the nuking mage section, and added example build for him. Other minor adjustments that I can't remember.

2015/07/29: Added Khepri and updated items based on the 8/04 ("The Rising Dawn") patch. These item revisions don't really change my suggestions. Added Zeus to the God listing in the Mage section...so awesome that I forgot to include him. Thanks for pointing that out, Melendros!

2015/06/24: Updated items based on the 6/16 ("Pins and Dolls") and 6/30 ("Combo Breaker") patches. "Combo Breaker." Added Ravana to the Warrior grouping.

2015/06/03: Added gameplay video of Xbalanque. Starting the process of eliminating fluff wording everywhere, for a more concise reading experience.

2015/05/23: Added first gameplay videos ( Neith and Odin). These are at 720p, 30 fps...going to try for future videos at 1080p and 60 fps.

2015/05/04: Added the newest gods to their respective chapters ( Ah Puch, Bellona, and Medusa). Revised and created separate warrior builds for different team comps. Updated item info based on recent patches. Also updated Achilles' Spear preemptively, for the upcoming 5/12/15 ("Gladiator's Glory") patch.

2015/02/24: Significant presentation change in the build sections, for better separation of items for clarity/easier reading. Added stats at the beginning of the item comments so you aren't required to hover over the icon.

2015/02/13: Smite Season 2 update! Actives and class build sections have new and revised items, builds, and ideas. Re-consolidated all 3 separated pages of the guide into one.

Hello everyone! My name is Branmuffin17 (PC IGN: Muffinman17, PS4 IGN: Branmuffin17), and I'm a SMITEFire moderator and casual SMITE player on PC and PS4. Welcome to the first guide I created, originally published in 2014 and maintained ever since!

This is a general guide for SMITE's Assault mode. It is a comprehensive build-and-tips guide that is designed to apply on a high level to all gods in the Assault mode, organized by class, rather than by individual god.

Assault isn't everyone's bag, baby. In many ways, it's less complex and competitive compared to the standard Conquest mode. Unless you're the most positive person in the world and absolutely OMG <3 LOVE <3 every god, you're often going to be stuck with gods that drive you [#*@^%$#] crazy. I personally enjoy that it forces me to play a random god, and matches me up against some really variable team compositions. Being in different situations makes you learn to adapt, and that can only help your game in the long run.

Assault provides some unique experiences that you won't get in other modes (especially Conquest), which also makes it a great mode for beginners:

No worrying about the jungle and getting ganked from around a corner

You don't have to ward or hope that others will ward

You can't go back to base to buy/heal, so no worrying about timing for that

As a final thought before we begin, understand that I'm not saying my guide/builds/suggestions are better than anyone else's. I've played the majority of my games in Assault. With time and experience, I have found the following to be helpful to me, and hope it may help others. At minimum, these builds will beat mindless ones. The ideas I'm sharing are meant to get YOU, the reader, to think.

If you get something out of this, hopefully it will help increase your enjoyment of this awesome game. Keep in mind, though, that nothing beats experience. Keep an open mind to what you're doing correctly, as well as what you need to work on, and it's inevitable that you'll improve.

As with healing, the only way to buy items is to die. Mostly, try NOT to die, but if you're sitting on a chunk of $$$ (enough to buy at least 1 full item) and you can die without giving the enemy credit, do so strategically (more on this in the Tips section).

You start with 3,000 gold. This allows you to buy almost any tier 3 item at the start, if you choose.

You start out at level 5. This allows you to activate all abilities, if you want. Why wouldn't you? See my Tips section (under General Tips/Skill Prioritizing) for examples.

Vital Orbs: The blue circles on the map represent Vital Orbs. At the start of the match, only one Orb is present: the one off to the side of the middle. As towers are destroyed, Orbs will spawn in those locations. They provide:

15% Increased movement speed for the player who picked up the Orb for 10s.

10% instant Health and Mana heal for the player and allies within 60 units.

A 1% Health and Mana regeneration per second aura for 10s around the player. This affects all allies within 60 units.

They respawn 2 minutes after being collected

What does this mean? Either you have to be an insanely great player that can dodge EVERYthing thrown your way, or you should build mindfully for sustained and extended play. Thus, lifesteal (via items or abilities), HP5, MP5, Meditation Cloak, and/or protection items have heightened importance for ALL gods.

You're going to see some interesting team compositions in Assault: 3 tanks + 2 assassins, 4 mages + 1 hunter, etc. In certain circumstances, building protections can really help your survival. Yes, in Assault, you CAN buy Breastplate of Valor as a mage and not be laughed at or ridiculed (as long as there are 4-5 physical enemies). So plan ahead. Before the game even starts, think about the following to help counter-build the enemy:

Tanks: How many tanks on each team? If more than 1, who will tank, and who can go bruiser? How much penetration will you need to build against enemy tanks?

Your team composition (# magical vs. # physical): Is your team balanced? If you have 5 physical gods, expect them to build physical protection, against which you'll need more penetration to remain effective with damage output.

Enemy team composition (# magical vs. # physical) and type (how many ranged vs. how many melee): If the enemy team is heavily skewed toward one type (mostly melee or mostly magical, for example), you can counter-build to gain an advantage.

Individual enemy gods of note: e.g. if you see Ares, and you don't have an ability that gets you out of it, you'll probably want to get Purification!

Finally, remember that if you die, you're likely feeding most of the enemy team. Constant teamfight often means everyone contributes to a kill. It's better to play a bit conservatively and back off, if you've got the means to jump back into the fight within a reasonable amount of time after you've healed up. If you've built up 5k gold, though, try to pick an opportune time to die to a tower, so as not to give the enemy a cash bonus. Even choosing when to die is important (see my Tips section, under Location Scenarios/Suicide Backing (and dying Strategically)).

Relic Essentials

Relics

Everyone automatically gets a free Relic to start!!! With this in mind, a balance of various Relics, along with a higher level of teamwork, is essential to getting the most out of them. I will go into detail on use, who should choose, etc., and break these down into 2 sections (ones I consider more critical, and ones that have more niche use).

Although they may save you in a pinch, they're no match for general skill and awareness. E.g., if you're up against an Ares, Purification Beads are great to have, but for all the gods' sakes, please don't bunch up with your teammates!

*NOTE* Relics can be upgraded for a price of 500 gold.

Critical #1 Relics

Meditation Cloak

Using this restores 75 + 12 health per level and 30% of the target's maximum mana to the owner and allies within 35 units. CD 120 seconds. Upgrade grants all allies hit with 30% reduced mana cost and reduces ability CD by 1 second upon use.

Sustain. In S2, this was Salvation, perhaps the #1 essential active item for Assault. Now, it should be considered as the first relic for as many as 3 people, depending on team and enemy compositions. It is not unusual to see an entire team choose this. With a group healer, perhaps 2 people can get this to supplement team mana use. Without a group healer, 2-3 people should strongly consider, for both healing and mana sustain.

Best use: Perhaps best for basic attack-based assassins/hunters. Early game damage is usually weak (exception is Thanatos), so power-enhancing relics won't really do that much. Since they won't be in the middle of most teamfights, they should be able to live a bit longer (can't use it when you're dead). Not as good to get if you're the healer...if you die, there may be no other team healing while they wait for you to respawn!

Purification Beads

Using this removes crowd control effects and makes you immune to new ones for 2 seconds. CD 160 seconds. Upgrade decreases CD to 130 seconds.

Anti-CC. AKA "Beads," this is the essential anti-CC active item to counter pulls from abilities and ults (e.g. Ao Kuang, Ares, Fenrir, Khepri, Xing Tian). An item alternative is Magi's Blessing, but its ability to cancel the CC you WANT it to cancel is unreliable, as it is triggered anytime you are hit with any hard CC, and it has a 70 second CD.

Best use: For squishy gods, when facing enemies with hard CC pulls (such as those mentioned above). Key for gods like Bastet who normally have an initiation and escape, but can be blocked from that escape by a timely freeze/stun.

Aegis Amulet

Using this makes you invulnerable to damage for 1.5 seconds, preventing you from attacking or taking actions. You may still move. CD 180 seconds. Upgrade decreases CD to 150 seconds.

Anti-Burst. Key item when against extremely damaging abilities or executes that can be anticipated. Examples include ults by Poseidon, Scylla, and Thanatos.

Best use: Universal use, possible alternate to Purification. Great first relic if your team has enough Meditation Cloaks to cover the team, and Purification Beads is less necessary.

Cursed Ankh

Using this reduces all enemy gods' healing in a 55 unit radius around you by 50% for 10 seconds. CD 120 seconds. Upgrade makes enemies who are healed by an ability while they are afflicted by Cursed Ankh take 20% more damage from all sources.

Anti-Heal. Extremely functional when your team coordinates to focus an enemy healer, or there are multiple healers on the enemy team. The newest version of this item's upgrade is interesting, as it also increases their potential damage taken.

Best use: Great for one person to get when the enemy team has high healing potential. Suggest for a tank/bruiser that doesn't need other relics.

Blink Rune

Using this allows you to teleport short distances instantly. You must not have given or taken damage for 3 seconds before it can be used. CD 120 seconds. Upgrade gives you a 10% damage reduction buff for 2 seconds after use.

Initiation. Use to target and surprise one squishy enemy, or more if they conveniently bunch up.

Best use: Almost essential for gods that have AOE CC abilities / ults, such as Ares, Odin, and Ymir, so they can hit/trap multiple enemies. Can be good for Tyr too, but with the long CD along with how difficult it can sometimes be to connect with an enemy, Tyr may find other relics have better use.

Unless you have a full build and have gold to spare, don't bother with the upgrade.

Magic Shell

Using this gives the owner and their allies within 35 units a 100 +12 health per god level for 3 seconds. CD 150 seconds. Upgrade provides affected allies with 2 stacks of block, absorbing the next 2 basic attacks.

Group Defense. Great group damage mitigation for the entire team when in the midst of a teamfight. Upgrade adds anti-basic attack function.

Best use: Great for a tank that didn't need other relics. If the tank is a good initiator and is at the center of a teamfight, the added protections can be a lifesaver, and help your team outlast the enemy. The upgrade is functional when facing multiple basic attackers.

Phantom Veil

Using this allows you and teammates within 35 units to pass through players and player made objects for 5 seconds. CD 150 seconds. Upgrade increases duration to 10 seconds, and provides a 15% damage reduction buff for 5 seconds.

Anti-Barrier. Use this to escape from (pass through) barriers created by god abilities. Also known as the Anti-Odin.

Best use: When facing enemies with physical barrier abilities (e.g. Odin, Ymir), this can save your team's bacon, especially when you don't have a leap or teleport. Best for squishy gods to protect themselves. Can also be picked up by an altruistic tank to protect their teammates.

Other Relics:

Relic #2 can be obtained once you reach level 12 (at the fountain, once you die). You can choose another from the above relics, as they are solid picks in most situations. The following relics may also be considered in specific circumstances, for specific gods.

Heavenly Wings

Using this increases the owner's and allies' (within 55 feet) ground speed by 30% and makes them immune to slows for 5 seconds. CD 140 seconds. Upgrade also makes all affected allies immune to basic attack movement penalties.

Chasing, Pushing, Retreating. On the run? Got the enemy on the run? Perhaps you just completed a deicide late game, but are pushed back against your phoenix, and want to see if you can take their phoenix. This will get you and your teammates where you need to be quickly!

Best use: Functional for anyone, but suggest only getting this if you won't find much use for other relics.

Sundering Spear

Fires a bolt that deals 15% of the target's current health as true damage. CD 140 seconds. Upgrade also increases damage taken by the target by 20% for 5 seconds.

Single target focus. A risky, but potentially rewarding offensive relic. The bolt can miss fairly easily. If it connects, though, it's a great way to start bursting down the specific target you've acquired. Remember too that it increases damage done by ALL teammates.

Best use: For high burst gods, rather than tanks. Can allow you to demolish a squishy enemy quickly, or make a high-protection tank FEEL like a squishy god.

Shield of Thorns

Using this reflects 40% of all damage you take, before mitigations, for the next 5 seconds back to its owner as magical damage. This effect ends early if you are dealt 150 * your level damage while it is active. CD 160 seconds. Upgrade decreases enemy lifesteal against you by 50%.

Counter to High DPS. Late game, when the squishier gods have built a lot of items, this will punish high DPS enemies who choose to attack you.

Best use: Functional for tanks, who can take a good amount of punishment to also make the enemy think twice about attacking them or pay the price.

Horrific Emblem

Using this slows the movement speed of enemy gods within 35 units by 30% and attack speed by 15% for 5 seconds. CD 120 seconds. Upgrade reduces damage dealt by affected enemy gods by 15%, and increases attack speed reduction to 25%.

Anti-Basic Attack. Late game, when basic-attacking enemies have built a lot of attack speed items, this will cut their DPS and also prevent them from escaping easily.

Best use: Good for any god, especially squishies who will be targeted by high DPS enemies. This will give you a bit of extra time to survive, and hope that your teammates will get them first.

Belt of Frenzy

Using this grants all allies within 70 units 10% increased damage and 15% attack speed for 5 seconds. While active, they also gain 10% additional damage toward objectives. CD 120 seconds. Upgrade provides +10 penetration to all gods, and increases duration of the effect to 8 seconds.

Teamwide Damage Boost. Late game, this is a good teamwide damage boost, enhancing

Best use: Good for offensive gods, with better effect for those that focus on basic attacks.

Assassin Builds

Assassins

Assassins are separated into 2 groups, based on the strengths of their kits in the Assault mode: Ability-Reliant and Hybrid / Basic Attack (thanks for the suggestion, Arvorus!). Awilix and Nemesis are more like hybrids, and can benefit from having both ability-based and basic attack items.

Assassins aren't designed for teamfights. Assault is a difficult mode for them, especially when they face multiple ranged enemies. Your best strategy is to poke as well as possible, and wait to strike until the enemy team is weakened or an individual is separated from the pack. Building at least one protection item can also really help.

Quick note: Most assassins (barring Loki) shouldn't focus on the minion waves except possibly late-game for lifesteal/health...leave that to better lane-clearing gods (usually mages). This is a good reason to consider getting Guardian's Blessing to start.

Assassin Builds

Example Ability-Reliant Assassin Build:

Ability-Reliant Assassin Build:

Having a flexible build style will help you adapt to unique situations. As a standard start against balanced enemies, Jotunn's Wrath is a good aggressive choice, especially if you've got an ability that can poke from distance. Against 4-5 physical gods, I'd probably start Breastplate of Valor over Jotunn's Wrath, while against 4-5 magical gods, I think Ancile is a good option.

If there are no healers, you might be best served by playing a patient game and choosing your moments to attack. You can find some health sustain if a teammate gets Sovereignty, but you can also take matters into your own hands, and choose either Stone of Gaia for the added health and HP5, or Guardian's Blessing for the low price, sustain from waves, and gold bonus.

CDR Items:

These items are necessary to get the most out of your abilities. Some are pure offensive options, some provide some protection. Choose to fit the situation.

Jotunn's Wrath(Standard Offensive): The power and penetration start your damage out well, and it provides an awesome 20% CDR, so you can spam your abilities. Consider getting as your first item, especially if you have a healer in your group.

Soul Eater(Sustain Offensive): The high power is functional for a damage build. The lifesteal on both basic attacks and abilities will help keep your health up, but don't rely on it for massive healing.

Hydra's Lament(Offensive, Situational): If your god mixes basic attacks and abilities, the extra damage this can provide is great. Should be picked up AFTER Jotunn's Wrath, mid-build.

Breastplate of Valor(Defensive, Anti-Physical): Can be picked up first against physical-heavy teams, and the added mana will help your ability use.

Ancile(Hybrid, Anti-Magical): Can be picked up first against magical-heavy teams. It provides a bit of power with the protection, and the passive is functional when you're looking to be aggressive.

Genji's Guard(Defensive, Anti-Magical): Can be picked up first as a defensive alternative to Ancile against magical-heavy teams. Provides no power, but the high MP5 is incredibly useful in this mode, especially if you're facing Ares or Cerberus and your group has limited Meditation Cloaks.

Shield of Regrowth(Enhanced Move Speed): Provides 10% CDR and some health and sustain...this is only functional on gods that have self-healing, and when activated, gives you a huge move speed boost to help you dive/chase/escape. Better picked up mid to late-game, and should be considered highly situational.

Spirit Robe(Defensive, Anti-CC): This item can be picked up mid-build or later. Balanced protections are nice, and the anti-CC effect and damage mitigation can help keep you alive if you're focused.

Mantle of Discord(Defensive, Anti-Physical): The high balanced protections are great in the later portions of a match. This is best for those that need to jump in to get kills, and the passive will help you either secure a kill or give you a way to get out alive.

Mobility

In most cases, you can pick up a movespeed item 2nd, since towers are generally close at the beginning of a match, and you've got teammates that will also take some of the focus. As an ability-based Assassin, you really should only choose between these two options.

Warrior Tabi(Offensive): The best choice for most ability-reliant assassins. However, if you can tell in the early game that the enemy team's CC is overwhelming, or you don't have a tank and need to act as one, consider...

Reinforced Greaves(Defensive): Depending on the enemy composition (or your own team's comp), consider these for your mobility. Being squishy, getting locked down by CC for 30% less time might be your saving grace.

Penetration / Protection Reduction:

Some of these items are great as early pickups, while some are better when picked up later. These items are essential to maximizing damage. Usually are picked up mid to late-game, though some can be considered earlier, for utility.

Titan's Bane(Anti-Tank): This is the quintessential pen item. Consistent % pen will cut into squishy enemies, but provides greater return against tanks with high protections.

Brawler's Beat Stick(Anti-Heal): When considering anti-heal, always check teammates' items...this is a strong anti-heal item that procs with ability use, but does not stack with the magical alternative ( Divine Ruin). Doesn't mean you can't still get use out of it...the high power and good 15 flat pen will still help your damage output.

The Crusher(Hybrid Basic Attack/Ability): This hybrid attack item supports both basic attacks and abilities, with a small DoT when damaging abilities connect. If your god likes to get in basics between ability use, this is a great option, as it also provides some attack speed.

Void Shield(Anti-Physical): Provides some protection against a physical-heavy team. Also consider that this provides physical protection reduction, so if you've got multiple physical gods on your team, this can help them deal more damage as well.

Situational Items:

Some of these items have great potential in specific situations, or with specific gods. This is not an exhaustive list...it is meant to point out some of the most effective situational items.

Shifter's Shield(Hybrid Attack / Defense): Provides both high power and protections, situationally. If you don't find use for other items, this is a solid pickup that will help in all situations.

Masamune(Hybrid Attack / Defense w/ Movespeed): Has a lot of situational similarity to Shifter's Shield, in that it provides good power and (potential) protections. This one is focused a bit more on mobility, though, to help you if you need to jump in, deal your damage, and get out quickly.

Winged Blade(Anti-Slow): Mostly a defensive item, provides extra movement speed when hit by slows. Combined with added health, this can be a lifesaver.

Hide of the Urchin(Survivability): This should never be forgotten as a potential choice. Balanced protections that are easily stacked in a teamfight mode, with a dose of health and mana. Assassins have it tough...they're usually squishy, and not always the best in a teamfight. Being able to take a bit of punishment is extremely helpful.

Critical Strike Items: Some ability-based gods have critical strike functionality built into their kits. They include Mercury, Ne Zha, and Serqet. Consider the crit items in these cases...and Deathbringer and/or Malice should always be one of them.

Example Basic Attack Assassin Build:

Basic Attack Assassin Builds:

Basic attack assassins are difficult to play well in Assault. They start out relatively weak, but they can deal incredible damage late-game (like hunters). Like them, you're likely going to start out pretty weak. Unlike them, you have to be close to hit things, which poses a problem in a teamfight situation.

My suggestion: play conservative to start. Build up your level and abilities, and contribute where you can. An assassin isn't an initiator, and they have to pick their battles. Don't just go for the kill, or you may find yourself getting a reversal.

You can skip protections if you'd like, but I've found that, in this particular mode, it helps a lot. Assassins are mostly built for single-target elimination. You're going to find it harder to kill without being damaged.

Starting Kits:

I would strongly suggest this combo to start. Besides allowing you to get full $$$ while staying away from the minion wave (which is safer AND allows others, usually mages, to clear and get the $$$ too), Guardian's Blessing also provides pretty decent sustain, which can be very helpful especially when no healers are present.

Ninja Tabi is a great choice for a basic attacker, and this combo allows you to get all 3 items (plus a relic of your choice) with just enough for 2 potions. Depending on the god, you might consider Warrior Tabi for gods w/ personal steroid abilities or extremely quick basic attack chains (e.g. Kali and Mercury).

Your other option is to bypass Guardian's Blessing and just go for full items. This can be a good choice, too, and offers different benefits. May be a better choice if you have a team healer that can allow you to be more aggressive and patch you up when you get back to safety.

Mobility Start:

or

This is your choice, depending on your preference of higher attack speed (Ninja) or power (Warrior).

You can get a start on the next item you want, and add some potions for sustain.

Balanced Protections Start:

+

Only a good choice when there are balanced physical / magical enemies and healer. This is a great first pickup, because it provides you with some immediate survivability, and also allows you to start building protection stacks at the beginning. When getting this, concentrate not on kills, but on participating in kills, as assists provide the same stack value.

Item #2 will obviously be completing your boots.

Mobility

For basic-attacking Assassins, I do suggest getting a movespeed item first, in case you plan to be more aggressive. Since you'll need to dive in to deal damage, it's important that you can get out quickly.

Ninja Tabi(Standard): Solid attack speed and a nice mana pool make this a great standard item.

Warrior Tabi(Inherently Fast Basic Attacks): For gods with quick attack strings (e.g. Kali) or built in attack speed steroids (e.g. Mercury), this is a great option to keep your power up. Especially if you plan to build Hastened Fatalis later, the added power in this over Ninja will help make up a bit for the lack of power in Fatalis.

Protection:

If you don't want protection, you can bypass these choices. Don't underestimate their effectiveness, though. Remember, you're going to be a target while you're squishy and weak, so this can really help you in the early game. If you want, once your damage is up, you can switch this out to do maximum damage.

If you're fulfilling your standard role as late-game damage dealer, you'll usually only get one, max 2 protection items if the enemy team is easy to counter-build (e.g. 4-5 of the same damage type).

Hide of the Urchin(Reliable Defense): If you want just one strong, balanced protection item, there is no better choice than this. At max stacks, it provides 50 of both magical and physical protections, a regenerating shield, and added health and mana to boot. Getting this earlier in a match is best, to start building those stacks.

Spirit Robe(CDR, Damage Mitigation): If you want some CDR and need balanced protections, this is a good choice. The biggest function, however, is the passive's damage mitigation, which can help keep you alive in short bursts.

Mantle of Discord(CDR, Stun): Similar to Spirit Robe in many ways, this provides even higher protections and CDR, with a different passive. If you're diving into the middle of a fight, the stun when you're at low health can give you that extra second to finish off your target, or give you a head start to retreat.

Shifter's Shield(Aggressive Defense): If you need balanced protections but want some offensive function, this item provides a hefty chunk of power, switching to added protections when you're damaged goods.

Ancile(Aggressive Anti-Magical): If you're facing a mostly magical team, this item is great to provide you with good protections, while adding some offensive flair. The passive's low CD is great for jumping into a teamfight and providing a local silence effect.

Void Shield(Aggressive Anti-Physical): Against a mostly physical team, this will give you both power and protection, while adding physical protection reduction to increase not only your damage, but physical teammates' damage as well.

Offense via Qin's Sais:

Basic attacking Assassins with quick attack strings (e.g. Arachne, Kali) will benefit more from using Qin's Sais over crit items. It and synergistic accompanying items will be covered here.

Qin's Sais(DPS / Main Damage Source): As a single basic-attack item, this provides the highest boost to DPS, and if you pick this up (mid-game is best), it will be your main damage source. To get the most out of it, you need high attack speed to proc the passive as much as possible, and good pen to break through enemy protections.

The Executioner(DPS / Protection Reduction): This is the premier penetration item for basic attackers. The attack speed provides synergy with Qin's Sais, and the protection reduction effect will allow you and any other physical teammate to cut deeply on both squishy and tanky enemies. This is an essential item.

Stone Cutting Sword(Anti-Physical): Solid power and increased mobility accompany a passive that is great against physical gods while also decreasing their protections. Consider when facing 4-5 physical enemies.

Heartseeker(Added Burst): If you're looking for a bit of added burst, the passive, when fully stacked, will make your next ability deal additional damage. When you have high attack speed, it'll be easy to proc this often.

Hastened Katana(Sticking Power): Practically a core item for both Bakasura and Kali, but not needed as much for others. The removal of the move speed debuff when basic attacking means the enemy will find it extremely tough to shake you off. Usually built fairly early on these gods.

Offense via Critical Damage:

Basic-attacking Assassins can make crits work, but it's mostly for Mercury, since his Made You Look can crit, and his passive can allow for some devastating damage. Due to price, as well as the need for other stats to maximize effectiveness, they're usually picked up in the late-game. Early pickups can work okay, though.

Wind Demon(Attack and Move Speed): Common first crit pickup. High attack speed, especially after a crit, makes this a great overall item for crit builds.

The Executioner(DPS / Protection Reduction): For gods not named Mercury, the added attack speed is nice to get more hits off.

Titan's Bane(High Penetration): Mercury can do some great single-hit damage if he crits with Made You Look. After building up his passive, he can also do the highest single-hit damage of practially any god, so making sure he gets the most out of his damage without the need to stack is good.

Lifesteal:

If you're looking for some sustain, and especially if you don't have a team healer, this can be your source of extra health, allowing you to box enemies and stay alive longer. Until you are able to deal significant damage with your basic attacks, I don't suggest picking these up, as you'll get little use when your DPS is low.

Asi(Attack Speed): Adds a healthy amount of attack speed and some flat penetration, and at low health provides a huge boost to lifesteal %.

Bloodforge(Power / Kill Shield): If you can easily secure at least 1 kill when you dive in, and are also looking for high power, this item has you covered. Remember, you only get the shield with a kill.

Soul Eater(Hybrid): Provides healing from both basic attack lifesteal and ability damage. Even basic attackers will deal some of their damage via abilities, and the high power makes this item appealing.

This is how I'd probably build Kali in a match against balanced enemies. Try starting with the Guardian's Blessing starting kit. Hide of the Urchin a bit later in the build may seem a bit weird, but especially with full stacks, will allow you to survive longer as you're bursting enemies down. Since Kali is the type to hit with basic attacks until her mark is dead and her attack string is SO quick, Hastened Katana allows her to stick to the target, and Qin's Sais is the centerpiece of her DPS. Finish with penetration, and the power and protection from Shifter's Shield seems perfect for her style, and can be helpful to keep her alive when her ult is down.

Keep in mind, I play her conservatively to start, and focus on upgrading Lash. When my ult is up and an enemy or two are low, I jump in for a quick kill. Initiate with Lash, stun with Incense when needed, use Destruction when my health is low, and then either finish with Nimble Strike or use it to retreat in a hurry.

Increase Loki's CDR ASAP, so you can use your ult more often. Hydra's Lament is the perfect complement to his kit, as you'll almost always get a basic attack off after you ult. The last items are optional, depending on how everything is going and who you're facing, but it might be best to get Masamune not only for the situational protection when you jump in, but the added movespeed can be really nice in helping you get to safety. Hopefully, you will be getting in and out quickly, and any damage you take can be healed up.

If you want to try something, get Rage or Deathbringer earlier than usual to help with your poke damage. Asi will get your attack speed up (and give you some sustain). If you're facing more tanks, consider Titan's Bane instead of The Crusher.

Set is a hybrid god, with both good ability potential, as well as basic attack function in his kit. This build thus mixes items for what looks like a funky build, but should work as a jack-of-all-trades.

The rest of the build allows for more basic attack damage potential, along with some protections to survive the closer encounters. Asi is great for the health sustain, but if you've got great healing on your team, you can go for more penetration from either The Executioner (basic attacks) or Titan's Bane (ability damage). More flat pen is also an option (e.g. The Crusher or Brawler's Beat Stick).

Thanatos should be built differently from the standard ability-reliant assassin. He has tons of inherent damage, so can be built a bit tanky and still be effective. Mantle of Discord in the 3rd spot is to help keep you alive after you dive into the midst of an enemy team for a kill. Shield of Regrowth is great for the health and added move speed, which you can proc all the time with Death Scythe.

In this situation, your team has 0 tanks. Thor is a good substitute. I've also made this situation with 4 physical enemies, to show a build variant. Breastplate of Valor to start for protection and CDR. The rest of the build combines further protections/mitigation and utility penetration. You can substitute Brawler's for an alternate item if there aren't any enemy healers.

Guardian Builds

Guardians

Guardians:

General Guardian Qualities:

Strengths

Weaknesses

+ High protection/survivability
+ Great CC abilities

- Usually lower damage
- Have to get in close to be effective

Guardian builds generally focus on protection and CDR. They all rely on abilities for maximum effectiveness, as they have a lot of CC/support function. A guardian's main purpose is to be the focus of enemy attention (front line, taking the damage), and to use their abilities in a timely manner to allow their teammates to secure kills and/or escape to safety. This is hardly glorious, as a great guardian may not get many kills, but they may also be the biggest reason their team wins.

Some guardians work well as bruisers. The kits of Ares, Bacchus, Hades, and Ymir can be extremely effective when built as bruisers (protection + power/penetration). Even Athena can do some damage, if built well, though she is absolutely more effective as a tank. If you find yourself on a team with multiple potential tanks, figure out who should be the main tank, and who can build more damage.

Guardians should usually NOT focus on the minion wave. The Guardian's Blessing Starter Kit, described below, can allow guardians to keep up, gold-wise, with the rest of the team, and is also helpful for health/mana sustain in the early game.

Some guardians really benefit from getting Blink Rune. Let's go over some of these instances.

Blink Rune Discussion

Ares

Essential to maximize the potential of Ares' ult. You'll want to check the enemies' builds...did they get Purification Beads?

Purification Beads' base cooldown is 160 seconds, while Blink Rune is short (100 seconds). His ult, No Escape, also has a base 100 seconds, and can be shortened significantly with CDR. You should be able to pull enemies at least every other time.

Also consider getting Relic Dagger to decrease Blink's CD to a similar extent.

Cerberus

Similar to Ares, using Blink Rune when enemies are bunched up can make his ult significantly more deadly.

Xing Tian

Similar to Ares, using Blink Rune when enemies are bunched up can make his ult significantly more deadly.

Ymir

Use this in combination with Ymir's ability #3, Frost Breath. This is a great initiator, especially when you max this ability, as they'll be frozen for over 2 seconds. You can then proceed with your wall to cut off a possible escape, or immediately trigger his ult to build damage.

Other guardians can use Blink Rune too... Geb and Sylvanus can use it as an initiator for their AOE ults, but it's not as essential for them.

Guardian Builds

With all of the counter-building options, it's difficult to provide a great build list without making it too complex. I will try to keep it simple and provide basic build schemes, and it's up to you to choose supporting items accordingly.

Note that AURA items often have great function in a teamfight mode. Consider these to help the entire team out.

FYI: my playstyle is on the conservative side. I never go full damage as a guardian. Since they have an inherent tankiness (higher base HP and protections), I like to accentuate that with items. The most aggressive build you'll see from me is a form of bruiser. If you want to go full damage, I'm sure you've got enough experience and knowledge to build the way you want, though I'll provide a suggestion in the example builds section below.

Starting Item Considerations:

Starting Items

These are items that you might consider at the start as a Guardian, specifically for their ability to help sustain you through the first portion of a match. Their use depends on the god, and whether or not you have a healer on your team. For the true starters, you can combo with some tier 3 items due to their low price (such as Sovereignty or Heartward Amulet), while you can also double-up sustain by getting both Guardian's Blessing AND Stone of Gaia for some incredible selfish health sustain.

Team Has A Healer

If your team has a healer, you can typically rely heavily on them for health sustain. This allows you to focus a less on items that provide health sustain, and help you/your team in other ways.

Heartward Amulet(Team Mana Sustain, Magical Protection AURA): Mana is almost always an issue in this mode. Meditation Cloaks and Mana Potions can only help you so much, if you're constantly using abilities. This is a great choice if you're the main tank and there are at least 2 magical gods...the mana sustain from this will help the whole team.

Gauntlet of Thebes(High Balanced Protections): This item is now allowed in Assault, and can be a great early pickup. Stacking will be extremely quick, and the high balanced protections will serve you very well in the early game. It also provides a minor protection aura to nearby teammates, which is never bad.

Stone of Binding(Early Aggression): This item is cheap, so can allow you to pick up T1 versions of other items, or a blessing, along with extra potions. If you have easily-applied CC in your kit, this can be extremely powerful for team offense, due to the protection debuff you place from the passive.

No Healers

If you don't have a healer on your team, and you'll be looked at to initiate and take the brunt of incoming damage, these are items you should consider...either separate or combined.

Stone of Gaia(Selfish health sustain): this item is useful specifically for health sustain. It not only gives you a great early health pool, but the HP5 allows you to dive in, help set up kills, limp back out and be ready to fight again shortly thereafter. Consider that it is a very selfish item that provides no direct support to others, so only get if you plan to be aggressive and don't have a healer on your team.

Sovereignty(Team Health Sustain, Physical Protection AURA): if facing mostly physical threats, getting this will provide a measure of protection to nearby teammates, while also giving your team some inherent health sustain due to the HP5.

Heartward Amulet(Team Mana Sustain, Magical Protection AURA): the magical variant of Sov, if facing mostly magical threats, getting this will provide a measure of protection to nearby teammates, while also giving your team some inherent mana sustain due to the MP5.

You Are The Healer

If you are Terra or Sylvanus, the team will rely on you for health sustain. The best thing you can do is stay alive, and heal as often as possible. This means looking to get CDR. Specialist's Blessing, combined with one of the full T3 protection items, will give you plenty of early CDR, mana, and a measure of survivability.

Specialist's Blessing(Cheap CDR): as Terra or Sylvanus, you might consider focusing on keeping your team healed up. Since you're a Guardian, you can also do the normal tank thing and get protections first, and this is actually a great option which you can further combine with either Breastplate of Valor or Genji's Guard for a additional CDR and protections against the highest damage threat.

Breastplate of Valor(Anti-Physical): If you identify that physical threats are the more concerning, pick this up to protect yourself, while also gaining a huge CDR boost and a healthy pool of mana.

Genji's Guard(Anti-Magical): If magical threats are the more dangerous, this will protect you, while giving you extra CDR and huge mana sustain.

Example Guardian Tank Build:

Defense & Movespeed

Movespeed:

Listing this first to get it out of the way. That said, I actually suggest getting a movespeed item 2nd or even later, and focusing on your protections first. These are the only 2 choices you should consider as a tank.

Shoes of Focus(CDR): In a teamfight situation, having some early CDR is going to be helpful to spam abilities.

Reinforced Shoes(Survivability): If you're the only tank and expect a lot of incoming damage, the early protections and health may help keep you alive.

Protections:

Protections are the key stat for a tank, and should always be prioritized. I suggest getting 1 protection item before getting movespeed. Continue with additional protections after that.

This group contains the items I consider most essential in this mode...due to constant teamfights, aura items have high priority. Other items are more niche for specific counter effect.

Protection Auras:

Sovereignty(AURA: Anti-Physical / HP5): If there are 3 or more physical gods, this item should be considered as a 1st item, ESPECIALLY if your team doesn't have a group healer. The protection aura and HP5 will help sustain your team. In a balanced situation, if you go with this, and another teammate can pick up Heartward Amulet, your team is set.

Heartward Amulet(AURA: Anti-Magical / MP5): If there are 2 or more magical gods, you can consider this as an alternative to Sovereignty, for the magical protection and MP5. Best picked up early.

Balanced Protections:

Hide of the Urchin(Regenerating Shield): This has received a nerf of sorts, but also has some good potential in an Assault setting. Has a shield that regenerates over time, which is a bit like health sustain. Also provides a good chunk of health, mana, and balanced protections, making this a universal protection item for tanks.

Spirit Robe(CDR / Damage Mitigation): Provides balanced protections and some CDR to help you spam abilities. The damage mitigation passive is very helpful in a teamfight.

Mantle of Discord(CDR / Silence): As an alternative to Spirit Robe, this provides higher balanced protections and CDR, with a passive that is beneficial when you're in the midst of the enemy team.

Magical Protection:

Oni Hunter's Garb(Mitigations): This item provides both magical protection and teamfight mitigation, which can really deflect a lot of incoming damage. If you will also appreciate the high MP5 and 20% CC reduction, this is a solid choice.

Shogun's Kusari(AURA: Attack Speed): If you've got multiple basic attackers on your team and want some added magical protection, this is a great pickup to boost everyone's attack speed to more quickly take down enemies and objectives. Don't rely on it as a strong protection item, though.

Pestilence(COUNTER: AURA: Anti-Heal): Counter item against enemy healers, this provides an anti-heal aura to lessen their sustain. The magical protection and health fit right in with a tank build.

Genji's Guard(CDR / High MP5): High magical protection and some health are nice for general survival, but you'll get this for the high MP5 for mana sustain, which is helpful because you'll be using abilities more often with the CDR.

Void Stone(AURA: Protection Reduction / Aggressive Defense): If you're looking for a bit of extra damage, or you have multiple magical teammates, the protection reduction this provides will enhance damage output, while still giving you magical protection.

Physical Protection:

Breastplate of Valor(CDR): You'll get this mainly for the high CDR and mana pool. Helpful to spam abilities, which you need to do to protect teammates and set up kills.

Hide of the Nemean Lion(COUNTER: Anti-Crit Basic Attack): If you're facing deadly enemies with crit builds, the damage reflect this item provides can really hurt them. Definitely a situational item, but high physical protection will help keep you alive.

Midgardian Mail(COUNTER: General Anti-Basic Attack): This item is another anti-basic attack focus, but the added health and basic attack slow effect is helpful against all enemies, even magical ones such as Freya.

Example Guardian Bruiser Build:

Utility Items

Offensive Items:

In the case you have a Guardian that can play aggressively and your team has another tank, you may choose to build for higher damage or add some utility to your kit.

Some may prefer pure offensive items such as Soul Reaver, but being a teamfight mode, when I do choose offensive function, I like it to provide more utility, either through added protections or stats that help the entire team.

Ethereal Staff(Enhanced Damage): Provides a variety of tank stats (CC reduction, health), but also provides a good amount of power, combined with damage enhancement that activates every 10 seconds on damaging ability use. Situational, absolutely, but functional, and a better choice than Soul Reaver, since it has the health.

Void Stone(AURA: Protection Reduction / Aggressive Defense): I listed this in the protections section above, but this also strongly belongs in this group. Great anti-magical item that provides an aura of protection reduction, helpful not only for your damage output, but any magical teammates as well.

Gem of Isolation(CC / Slow): Provides some health (which may be lacking in a bruiser build), and also adds a slow effect to all of your damaging abilities...great to help lock down enemies if you want added CC in your kit.

Pythagorem's Piece(AURA: Power & Lifesteal): This has a great team effect, adding power and lifesteal to all nearby teammates. This can help you outlast the enemy team. Also provides helpful CDR.

Spear of the Magus(Offensive / Protection Reduction): The most offensive item in this group, the protection reduction effect is great if you can easily stack with your abilities. Helps all magical teammates deal more damage.

Rod of Asclepius(AURA: Boosted Healing): If you're a group healer (e.g. Sylvanus, Terra), this item should be considered for enhanced healing effect. The added move speed and health are also nice.

Stone of Binding(Team Offense): This item is cheap, and considered a bridge item due to having only moderate base stats. However, the passive is extremely powerful for your entire team if you can easily apply CC.

Example Guardian Builds

Example Guardian builds:

Quick word on Ares: Make sure you get Blink Rune, and work to increase your CDR. Enemy counter-builds will often include Purification Beads, which has a base CD of 160 seconds. On a good team, a pull will easily result in at least 1 kill.

Get Sovereignty first to help his passive and HP5 for the team, then Shoes of Focus for the CDR to use your ult more often. A magical protection aura item can follow. He is at his best when he's also dealing damage, and Spear of the Magus is amazing for him. Relic Dagger is an interesting item for him, as it'll decrease the CD on Blink Rune, turning you into an ult-bot. The enemy team will hate you.

His other abilities aren't high damage, so your priority is to max your CDR for healing and his pull. On the offensive side, you can try for a stun/pull combo ( Verdant Growth followed immediately by Nature's Grasp). You can even think about getting Blink Rune to initiate with your ult. Always be in the thick of it with your teammates.

Hunter Builds

Hunters

The below categorization may be argued for other modes, but in the constant teamfight mode of Assault, this categorization fits. All of them can be built either way, but based on their unique kits and the constant teamfight situation in this mode, you may find better effect in these categories.

Ability-Reliant / Hybrid Hunters:

Basic Attack Hunters:

General Hunter Qualities:

Strengths

Weaknesses

+ High single target damage
+ Strong late-game

- Squishy
- Extremely reliant on items

Hunter builds focus on attack speed, power, penetration, critical damage, and lifesteal. CDR items rarely make an appearance, as their main damage usually comes from basic attacks. Most Hunters have functional escapes, but some (like Ah Muzen Cab, Artemis, and Skadi) just really suck at getting away. The main role of a hunter is to do immense late-game damage, so most builds focus on the most efficient build progression to achieve that.

Hunter Builds

Most stacking items that hunters commonly build in Conquest are not allowed in Assault. This means Devourer's Gauntlet and Transcendence are unavailable, and need to be replaced. These builds look for different ways to remain effective, with emphasis on early lifesteal for sustain.

I won't cover the individual situational items here, but if facing 4+ magical or physical gods, you may consider a single protection item to help your survivability.

Note that my personal preference in many situations is to start with Soul Eater. In a teamfight mode, even basic attackers will have to rely a bit more on their abilities, so a bit of CDR (for more ults, especially!) and a mix of sustain from both basic attacks and abilities are really helpful. You don't have to start with it, but I've found it to be effective. Bloodforge is a traditional alternative.

Basic Attack Crit Build

Summary: This build provides early lifesteal from Soul Eater for health sustain, while also making your basic attacks do significant early damage. Late-game will be extremely strong, if the match lasts that long, and works better against squishy enemy comps.

Last Item: The last item is optional... Ichaival is a great boxing item, but you can also consider a 3rd crit item like Poisoned Star, further lifesteal from Asi, or look into more survivability with items like Magi's Cloak.

Basic Attack Qin's Build

Summary: This build is great against tanky/higher-health targets, and is also a preferred build for people that want reliable basic attack damage (rather than RNG via crits).

Who should build this?: The specific build listed is great for gods without AS steroids. Better for Hunters with no steroid functions in their kit, allowing them to build higher attack speed without overcapping. If you choose this build on a Hunter with an AS steroid, consider switching some AS items out with alternatives to prevent major AS overcapping.

Lifesteal Options: Asi is a fine pickup in general for lifesteal, but if your Hunter has a high AS steroid, you might consider getting Soul Eater or Bloodforge instead.

Last Item: The last item is optional. Titan's Bane is a good pickup against very tanky enemy comps, you can add more lifesteal as preferred, or look into more survivability with items like Magi's Cloak. Runeforged Hammer is also an interesting option for teams or Hunters with lots of CC.

Ability-Focused Build - No Healer

Summary: This is a modified version of a Transcendence build, though trying to maintain the general focus of penetration and power. The largest deviation (besides the loss of Trans) is the presence of CDR, usually via Jotunn's Wrath. In a teamfight mode like this, higher ability use can be extremely useful.

This build starts with Soul Eater for the high power and sustain, especially in the absence of a team healer. HOWEVER, if you have your own healing ability (e.g. Cupid, Neith), I'd suggest getting Jotunn's Wrath first.

Summary: This is an altered build order version, opting for early CDR, as you don't have to worry as much about health sustain. It still focuses on high power and pen, and gets Odysseus' Bow in place of lifesteal to help with teamfight damage output.

Who should build this?This should work for Neith whether or not your team has a healer. It works for any other ability-based hunter with a team healer. CDR is provided at the start, and the build includes high penetration items which should be effective against tanks.

Note: Since the standard build is described above, I'll provide a couple of unique situations to show why I'll choose a specific build. Not saying these will work better...just options to try, if you want to keep your mind open to change.

This build looks funky to start, but synergizes incredibly well specifically for AMC. AMC is a very mana-hungry Hunter with great early ability poke, and the early Blackthorn Hammer really alleviates the mana reliance. He also very, very easily applies slows via Honey, and so can get great use out of Runeforged Hammer.

This build uses late-game crits, but really the options are open-ended. If needed, you may consider Qin's Sais and a lifesteal item instead.

Medusa's waveclear ability, Acid Spray, can keep the enemy away from the minion wave, so Soul Eater is picked up first for the CDR and power to get some good early poke. She has some good boxing function and a decent attack steroid, so we're mixing and matching basic attack and ability items to develop her as a hybrid. With no healer, Asi is picked up late as a second lifesteal item to enhance her sustain.

Mage Builds

+ High damage (some single target, some AOE)
+ Most have good minion wave-clear
+ Many have good utility skills
+ Some of the best group healing in the game

- Super squishy
- Escape ability is often weak

Mage builds focus on power, penetration, CDR, and lifesteal. This class has both the highest number of individual gods, as well as the widest variety of abilities, including group healing capability, long-range attacks, mid-range attacks, CC, and mobility. Barring the basic attack group (sort of...), all are extremely ability-reliant.

Mages are often the first choice for minion wave clearing (e.g. Ra, Anubis, Isis, Kukulkan, Poseidon, and Vulcan). Depending on if you're wave pushing or freezing (more on this in the Tips section under Location Scenarios), it may be best to prioritize clearing the wave before targeting enemy gods.

*note* It is no mistake that I've put Sol and Chronos in 2 groups, as their kits can make them effective as either nukers or basic attackers. Gods such as Poseidon and Zeus can be functionally built as basic attackers, but are not listed in that group because they are generally much better built for ability damage.

Mage Builds

Basic attack mage builds:

Example Chronos / Sol Build:

Example Freya Build:

Gods such as Chronos and Sol are hybrid gods...meaning they can incorporate both ability-based and basic attack items and be effective with both.

With Book of Thoth banned from use in this mode, I prefer to use Freya as a pure basic attacker...although she appreciates CDR, high power items are not her priority.

I'll briefly cover the main items that strongly benefit basic attackers. Other standard mage items will be covered in the Nuking mage builds section.

Movespeed:

Depending on the god, you may choose this first or second. In the case of Chronos and Sol, I feel their kits are best with an ability focus to start, so Chronos' Pendant is a solid first choice...it gives them some MP5, allows them to spam abilities early and often, and they have healing within their kits that will get better use with CDR. Late-game with these builds sees a transition to more of a basic attack focus.

As for Freya, she can see better overall damage output with early attack speed, so getting Hastened Ring at the start allows her to get more hits in, while also giving her enhanced in-battle mobility. In fact, by getting Specialist's Blessing first, she can skip Shoes altogether by building consecutive rings and quickly having very good MS.

Shoes of Focus(CDR): In a teamfight situation, having some early CDR is going to be helpful to spam abilities. This is my suggested item for Freya, since I'll be getting Demonic Grip for her fairly early.

Shoes of the Magi(Early Penetration): This is a decent choice for a bit of extra oomph in your attacks. When starting Chronos' Pendant, which already has great CDR, getting the flat pen from Magi is a good balance to get a bit more damage.

Basic Attack Items:

Most of these items enhance basic attack function in one way or another, usually with attack speed as a main stat. Some items are better for some gods more than others. This is NOT an exhaustive list for basic attackers...you'll combine some of these items with others found in the Nuking Mage section.

Hastened Ring(Basic Attack Mobility): Provides attack speed along with the key passive allowing you to move at full speed while basic attacking (at least for a short time). Essential early item for Freya, as she absolutely relies on the passive. This can be picked up later in a build for Chronos and Sol, since they can focus on general ability use earlier in a match.

Demonic Grip(High Protection Reduction): Combines protection reduction and attack speed, and is the main penetration item for a basic attacker. Usually best picked up mid-build for Freya, and is an option for others though not as core.

Telkhines Ring(Enhanced Basic Attack Damage): Best built later, due to the high cost. Basic attacks that connect provide bonus damage, giving a nice damage boost in the midst of a fight.

Witchblade(Anti-Basic Attack): Most functional for Freya, and is also a great counter if facing multiple enemy basic attackers.

Healing mage builds:

Example Balanced Build:

Example Anti-Physical Build:

Example Aphrodite Build:

DO NOT REROLL. If you reroll, your team's healing is likely gone. If you prefer a different god, see if anyone is willing to trade. If not, learn how to heal. You'll need to do so at some point anyway, and there's no better time than now.

If you roll a mage in this category, your best bet for your team to have success is to play the role of Healer. This means:

Prioritize leveling your healing ability as quickly as possible...I'll cover examples of this more specifically in the Tips section, under General Tips/Skill Prioritizing.

Spam that heal (CDR is a must!!!)

Don't waste your mana on anything but a killing blow...conserve for heals!!! (That is, unless you're the ONLY mage, and they need you for minion wave-clear)

Don't die. Not being facetious here. You die, the rest of your team is likely to follow. Instead, play it safe and be the General (Sergeant?) for your little squad...pull them back if they're extending themselves (VRR..."RETREAT!"), warn of incoming ults, whatever. Watch the whole field and communicate.

Other standard mage items will be covered in the Nuking mage builds section.

Movespeed:

Although I'm listing this first, I generally suggest getting a movespeed item second. When possible, always start with a strong CDR item.

In most cases, go with Shoes of Focus for the CDR. You shouldn't be looked at to deal high damage, so Shoes of the Magi should only be picked up when you have a build plan in place and you don't want to overcap with other CDR items being key.

Shoes of Focus(CDR): CDR is essential for getting as many heals off as possible.

Shoes of the Magi(Early Penetration): If you're planning to get multiple CDR items that will hit the cap, this is the other standard option. Since healing increases with power, this is a good general choice, while also allowing you to do a bit more damage against enemy gods, when the need arises.

Reinforced Shoes(Protection): If you're being focused, or are worried about being focused, this is a good item to provide some health and protections.

Healing / Utility Items:

These items help enhance healing or otherwise work synergistically. Some items are better fits for some gods over others. Aphrodite is a great healer, but she can only heal one god at a time, so only some of these are really useful for her.

Rod of Asclepius(Healing Boost): This is the quintessential healing item that is functional for any healer. Gods near you gain enhanced healing. Extra move speed and health help your survivability.

Lotus Crown(Added Protections): This is a great item for all AOE healers (everyone except Aphrodite). When gods receive healing, they gain protections for 5 seconds.

Shield of Regrowth(Enhanced Mobility): This one doesn't directly enhance your healing. Instead, it provides a nice combination of CDR, health, HP5 and MP5, with an added bonus. After healing yourself, you gain 40% move speed for 4 seconds. This can be great for keeping you out of danger, so consider if enemies are diving you often.

Rod of Tahuti(Healing Scaling Boost): Mages' healing abilities come packed with additional scaling, based on the amount of power you have. Although this is often purchased as a damage item, the high power also increases your total healing output, significantly in many cases. You'll get an even higher boost when teammates are below 1/2 health.

Nuking mage builds:

Example Standard Build:

Example Anti-Physical Build:

In most cases, you'll look max your damage potential via 3 key stats: CDR, power, and penetration. There are many different options, so we'll cover the basics here.

Movespeed:

Although I'm listing this first, I generally suggest getting a movespeed item second. When possible, always start with a strong CDR item.

One option, if you want to be safe early, you can start with full movespeed and a starter item. Mage's Blessing is a functional starter, since it provides some bonus ability damage, some mana sustian, and a good 10% CDR once evolved, and it's cheap (700 gold).

Shoes of the Magi(Early Penetration): If you want to be an aggressor, the 10 flat pen can help you do a higher amount of damage.

CDR Items:

These are all great general CDR options to get your CDR up to help you spam your abilities.

Specialist's Blessing(Cheap Bridge CDR): This is a cheap option for early CDR, and provides movespeed once fully stacked for better survivability. The low price also allows you to start building into another item. Since it's a starter item, it should be replaced late-game.

Chronos' Pendant(High CDR): Provides the highest overall CDR of any item, between its base 20% CDR and the passive. This is a great starter item if you don't need to worry about health sustain.

Breastplate of Valor(Anti-Physical): If you're facing a team heavy on physical damage dealers, this is a great option to counter some of their damage, while also providing you with a huge 20% CDR.

Spear of Desolation(Aggressive CDR): This is a solid item to provide you with enhanced damage due to the power and flat pen, while also giving you some CDR. Can be built mid-game due to the reasonable price.

Damage Items:

These are all items with a main focus on maximizing your damage output. Includes both power and penetration items.

Obsidian Shard(Anti-Tank): If you're looking for a single item for your main penetration, this will provide your abilities with consistent damage. Provides higher effectiveness the more protections the enemies have, so should mainly be considered against very tanky enemy teams.

Spear of the Magus(Ticking Penetration): If your abilities deal multiple hits, either via DoT (damage over time) or ticking (e.g. Whirlpool), this is an essential penetration item. The protection reduction effect makes other magical teammates deal more damage as well.

Soul Reaver(True Damage Burst): The passive provides a bonus damage proc as true damage, taking off 10% of an enemy's max health for a significant increase in burst damage. This should be considered a situational item if you're looking for that extra bit of damage.

Rod of Tahuti(High Power Boost): This is a high power item that most mages can appreciate. Provides a % increase to your total power against damaged enemies, but costs a lot, so should be built late-game if chosen.

Lifesteal and Situational Items:

This section includes lifesteal items, which are practially essential in the absence of a team healer, along with other items that can be of great benefit in specific situations.

Pythagorem's Piece(Group Sustain): This is an item that provides multiple functions, not only for you, but for nearby teammates as well. Especially helpful in the absence of a group healer, the aura provides lifesteal and added power. You also get added CDR and mana, making this a very nice item overall.

Bancroft's Talon(Stationary Sustain): If your abilities require you to be an easy target (e.g. Anubis, Hades), the huge lifesteal and power boost can allow you to kill before you're killed.

Polynomicon(Burst Combo): If your god can combo with both abilities and basic attacks, and you've building a lot of power, the added damage this can provide can really increase your burst potential.

Soul Gem(Burst Combo): This is sort of a defensive version of Pythagorem's Piece. Instead of offering enhanced group power and lifesteal, it situationally provides bonus damage and an AOE heal.

Gem of Isolation(CC): Although the health is nice for survivability, the main draw is the slow effect it gives your abilities, allowing you to lock enemies down for you and teammates to finish up.

Stone of Fal(Anti-Magical Burst): When facing high magical burst damage, this item can minimize damage...can work especially well against Scylla and Poseidon, to name a couple. Also generally functional against a magical-heavy team, due to the protection, and it has some CDR to boot.

Spectral Armor(Anti-Crit): This is a very specific counter for physical gods building into crit items, that want to dive in at close range to gank you. Cuts crit bonus damage in half, which may give you just enough time to counter or escape before being blown up.

Mantle of Discord(Balanced Protections): This is probably the best balanced protections item for most situations. Provides some added CDR as well, but the main draw is the (very situational) stun at low health, which can give you enough breathing room to counter or escape. Spirit Robe is an alternative option if facing a lot of CC.

Due to the low, low cost of 0 mana on his ult, starting with Chronos' Pendant is a great way to spam it...his ult will always be on CD, so you'll get plenty out of the passive. We'll also look to flat pen in the mid-game, and Tahuti for high power at the end.

Since Ao Kuang needs to get in close to deal damage, we'll make sure he's got movespeed to start. Spear of Desolation 2nd is a bit expensive but gives him both pen and additional CDR to utilize his ult more often. From there, we start investing in basic attack function. Bancroft's Talon leads to provide some sustain when you fight, followed by two rings to provide high pen and extra damage. Finally, pick up Mantle of Discord to help your survivability.

Hades is a unique god in the mage category...he was previously in the Guardian class, and is one of the gods that can work well when built somewhat tanky. Key items here are Hide of the Urchin for general survivability, Bancroft's Talon to help his damage and survivability when ultiing, and Spear of the Magus for the quick ticks of damage his ult provides, quickly decreasing enemy protections.

Warrior Builds

Warriors

I've categorized Warriors into two groups...ability-reliant and basic attack. Amaterasu and Bellona are listed in the Basic Attack group, but are hybrid gods that work well with an ability focus. Likewise, Vamana is listed in the ability group, but he can also be built for basic attacks.

Ability-Reliant Warriors:

Hybrid / Basic Attack Warriors:

General Warrior Qualities:

Strengths

Weaknesses

+ Flexible build styles
+ Great initiation/escape abilities

- Reliant on items
- Have to get in close to be effective

Warrior builds focus on a mix of CDR, protection, and damage. Perhaps more than any other class, their item choices influence their strengths and weaknesses. Tanky builds focus more on protection, while bruiser builds target power and penetration. With the exception of Amaterasu, Bellona, Erlang Shen, Osiris, and Vamana, their attack progression is slow, so they don't focus on attack speed. Some have great mobility, some have strong CC. They're all over the place.

A Quick Note On Blink Rune

Some warriors really benefit from getting Blink Rune. Let's go over some of these instances.

Blink Rune Discussion

Hercules

An interesting choice for Herc. Most people don't do this, that I've seen, but I've utilized it very well. The standard pull for Herc is Earthbreaker, followed by getting behind the enemy and driving them even further back with Driving Strike. Many will anticipate this and either try to juke, or just stay way back.

To keep the enemy guessing, you can sometimes blink behind them, push them back with Driving Strike, and when they try to retreat, they won't be looking back at you. Pull them back at that point with Earthbreaker. Nasty surprise when it works.

Odin

Essential for Odin, to initiate his ult more effectively. Although he does have an initiation ability ( Lunge), this allows you to perfectly time when enemies accidentally bunch together and trap them all.

More than any other warrior, Tyr may need Blink Rune to maximize his pushing ability. Blink behind the enemy, then use Fearless in his assault stance to push the enemy back to your team. Do this as often as possible.

Guan Yu

DO NOT REROLL if you are Guan Yu, as he's in the healer category. Since he is unique in the Warrior class, he's earned his own guide page. You can still find an example build and gameplay video in the general section, but if you want more in-depth coverage, see here (Build #3):

With all of the counter-building options, it's difficult to provide a build list without making it too complex. I will try to keep it simple and provide basic build schemes, and it's up to you to choose the various options properly.

FYI: I personally never go full damage as a warrior. Since they have an inherent tankiness, I like to accentuate that with items. The most aggressive build you'll see from me is a form of bruiser. If you want to go full damage, I'm sure you've got enough experience and knowledge to build the way you want.

Part of your build structure is going to depend on your role on the team. In some cases, you'll be relied upon as the main tank. In other cases, you can focus more on damage.

Starting Item Considerations:

Starting Items

These are items that you might consider at the start as a Warrior, specifically for their ability to help sustain you through the first portion of a match. Their use depends on the god, and whether or not you have a healer on your team. With Guardian's Blessing, you can combo with some tier 3 items due to their low price (such as Sovereignty or Heartward Amulet), while you can also double-up sustain by getting both Guardian's Blessing AND Stone of Gaia for some incredible health sustain.

Guardian's Blessing(No healer, team has good clear): if your team has good minion wave clear, and you find yourself without a healer, getting Guardian's Blessing means you should avoid using your abilities on the wave. This frees you up to use them on the targets you should focus anyway...the enemy gods. This also provides great mana sustain, so you can consider relics besides Meditation Cloak. You can pair this with Sovereignty (anti-physical), Heartward Amulet (anti-magical), or Stone of Gaia (incredible overall sustain) as the situation demands.

Stone of Gaia(No healer, selfish health sustain): this item is useful specifically for health sustain. It not only gives you a great early health pool, but the HP5 allows you to dive in, help set up kills, limp back out and be ready to fight again shortly thereafter. Consider that it is a very selfish item that provides no direct support to others, so only get if you plan to be aggressive and don't have a healer on your team, thus really needing that HP5.

Blackthorn Hammer(No healer, selfish mana sustain): this item is great for ability use. While over 25% mana, you get 10% CDR to use abilities more often. When you dip below 25%, the passive switches over from CDR to huge mana regen, ensuring you'll never be out of mana for long. In addition, it provides a huge pool of health and mana, giving you great survivability at the start.

Sovereignty(Team Health Sustain, Physical Protection AURA): if facing mostly physical threats, getting this will provide a measure of protection to nearby teammates, while also giving your team some inherent health sustain due to the HP5.

Heartward Amulet(Team Mana Sustain, Magical Protection AURA): the magical variant of Sov, if facing mostly magical threats, getting this will provide a measure of protection to nearby teammates, while also giving your team some inherent mana sustain due to the MP5.

Gauntlet of Thebes(Balanced Protections, Minor Protection AURA): if you have a team healer, and are facing a well-balanced team, this item stacks easily and will provide you with great protections in the early game. You should probably only pick this up if you don't need to pick up the other items at the start.

Example Ability-Reliant Tank Build (With Team Healer):

Universal Items (Movespeed & Pure Protections):

Movespeed:

Depending on the god, you may choose this first or second. In most cases, I'd suggest a protection item to start, followed by movespeed. Below are your main options.

Warrior Tabi(Ability Damage): If you're an ability-reliant god looking to maximize your damage, look no further. The power this provides is great for the price.

Ninja Tabi(Basic Attack DPS): For Warriors with a basic attack focus, the attack speed this provides will help your damage output later in the build.

Reinforced Greaves(Protection): If you're the main tank, or feel more comfortable with higher protection, this is a solid pick.

Pure Protections:

No matter the god, protections are essential. In bruiser builds, one or two items may be enough. As a tank, you'll want more.

Protection Auras:

Sovereignty(AURA: Anti-Physical / HP5): If you're the main tank and don't have a team healer, this is your best option to give your team some health sustain, especially when facing a mostly physical enemy team. Helps mitigate damage against minions, towers, and physical gods, so don't choose if you're facing a mostly magical team. Choose early if you plan on building it.

Heartward Amulet(AURA: Anti-Magical / MP5): If you're facing a mostly magical enemy team, the aura this provides will give some protections to nearby teammates against incoming damage. Also provides MP5, to help mana sustain between shots of Meditation Cloak. Like Sovereignty, best to choose early when the situation demands.

Balanced Protection:

Hide of the Urchin(Balanced Protections): If your team has another tank and a healer, and you want a single protection item, this is one of the best to get...good balanced protections at full stacks, with some added health and mana. The regenerating shield is functional when engaging and then backing off for a bit. Definitely a selfish item, so only choose if you really need a one-stop protection item.

Gauntlet of Thebes(Balanced Protections / Minor Protection AURA): Provides a high amount of protections, with a minor protection aura for nearby teammates. Easy to get the stacks

Spirit Robe(Balanced Protections / CDR): Provides a moderate balance of protections, with some added CDR. The passive is the main draw, as hard CC will activate damage mitigation for 3 seconds, helping you live through an intense attack.

Physical Protection:

Breastplate of Valor(Anti-Physical / CDR): High CDR combined with physical protection and mana make this a good selfish item for an ability-reliant god against a physical-heavy team.

Hide of the Nemean Lion(Anti-Crit Basic Attack): If you're facing deadly enemies with crit builds, the damage reflect this item provides can really hurt them. Definitely a situational item, but high physical protection will help keep you alive.

Midgardian Mail(General Anti-Basic Attack): This item is another anti-basic attack focus, but the added health and basic attack slow effect is helpful against all enemies, even magical ones such as Freya.

Magical Protection:

Oni Hunter's Garb(Mitigations): This item provides both magical protection and teamfight mitigation, which can really deflect a lot of incoming damage. If you will also appreciate the high MP5 and 20% CC reduction, this is a solid choice.

Genji's Guard(Conservative Anti-Magical / CDR): If you want high magical protections as a main ability-reliant tank, this also provides some CDR. Since it carries no added power or pen, it's not best suited for a bruiser build.

Shogun's Kusari(Anti-Magical / AURA: Basic Attack Speed): If you've got multiple basic attackers on your team and are looking for some magical protection, this provides a nice aura that boosts all nearby teammates' attack speed. Functional aggressive teamfight support item.

Jotunn's Wrath(Main CDR): This is the universal CDR item for damage. Provides high power and decent flat pen, but the CDR is the main reason you get this.

Brawler's Beat Stick(Anti-Heal): This is the aggressive anti-heal item for ability users. High power and decent flat pen round out the stats.

The Crusher(Enhanced Ability Damage): Similar to base stats for Brawler's, providing power and flat pen, with the addition of attack speed. The passive provides bonus damage to your abilities, so is a good situational item when you're building for damage.

Titan's Bane(Anti-Tank): This item brings strong, reliable penetration to all of your abilities but is a pure offensive item. Stronger effect the tankier the enemy, so should only be considered if you're not the tank and you're facing a tanky enemy team.

Shield of Regrowth(Healer's Movespeed Boost): Definitely a situational item, good for gods with healing in their kits. Has a low CD to allow you to use the movespeed boost often, allowing you to more easily engage, escape, etc. Also has some CDR.

Blackthorn Hammer(Health / CDR / MP5): High health and decent mana, combined with a situational CDR or MP5 boost, this item is a great tank item for overall sustain for ability use.

Void Shield(Aggressive Anti-Physical): Perhaps better for a basic attacker, provides both power and physical protection, along with a protection reduction effect that helps other physical gods deal more damage as well.

Shifter's Shield(Aggressive Protections Option #1): For the Bruiser looking to both deal AND absorb damage, this is a great option providing a great distribution of stats.

Masamune(Aggressive Protections Option #2): Similar in some ways to Shifter's Shield, this item notably adds movement speed to the build, allowing for a bit more mobility.

Ancile(Aggressive Anti-Magical / CDR): This is the aggressive version of Genji's Guard, providing some power and magical protection to go along with the CDR. The passive is well-suited for diving, as it silences nearby enemies when you take magical damage. Although the CDR is something ability-reliant gods prefer, the passive can be helpful for basic attackers as well.

Example Basic Attack Bruiser Build:

Offensive Basic Attack Items:

Below are items that specifically benefit basic attackers. Only go this route if your team has enough tanks; otherwise, you'll still need to build tanky.

Hastened Katana(Aggressive Sticking): You'll get this item for the attack speed and the removal of the basic attack move debuff. Not all that popular for most warriors, but can work well situationally, if you prefer the movespeed over the slow from Frostbound Hammer.

Frostbound Hammer(Defensive Sticking): The more popular alternative to Hastened Fatalis for most Warriors. Basic attacks with this item give a slow effect, helping you keep enemies close. The health is a nice defensive benefit.

Asi(Sustain + Attack Speed): If you want lifesteal in your kit and prefer attack speed, this item incorporates both, while also giving you some power and flat pen.

The Executioner(High Protection Reduction): Another essential item for basic attackers, this synergizes very well with Qin's Sais for maximum DPS. It is extremely effective against tankier gods, and is more beneficial the more physical teammates you have. If you've got enough attack speed in your kit, you can easily opt for Titan's Bane as a replacement pen item.

Stone Cutting Sword(Anti-Physical): If you're facing mostly physical gods, the passive protection steal can give you an advantage over your target. Has added move speed along with high power to help you get in, do some damage, and get out.

Witchblade(Anti-Basic Attack): Get this specifically to co counter multiple basic-attacking enemies. You gain some AS, while nearby enemies lose some.

Toxic Blade(Anti-Heal): Specific counter to enemy healers, it has a bit of health and flat pen to make it a nice bruiser item.

Blackthorn is a solid first item, and he doesn't have to worry too much about health because he has personal healing. Some offensive-minded items are mixed in with plenty of protections to make this a well-rounded build.

Has some good power and CDR in the middle of the build, with situational items to finish the build. Relic Dagger is extremely situational for most gods, but in a teamfight mode, it's core for Odin to get his ult off most effectively, in combination with Blink Rune.

Tips & Scenarios

This chapter contains an assortment of tips, scenarios and other things that others have suggested to be added. Some parts might be long-winded and lacking pictures =( Thanks to everyone for their feedback!

Although mentioned/suggested in the assassin, guardian, and warrior sections, Guardian's Blessing deserves some further discussion.

This is really only beneficial for gods without strong/quick auto attacks or wave-clearing abilities (e.g. not good for hunters or most mages). Getting this allows you to reap the benefits of last-hitting minions (about 20-30% more gold from minions), without even touching them.

The biggest point I need to stress is that this item supports a playstyle that is on the conservative side. The sustain can especially help when your team lacks a healer, but you get 0 benefit if you're not 1) close enough to the minions when they die, and 2) ALIVE. So, in choosing this, don't go for a kill if it means you might die too...not unless you also have enough $$$ to get at least another full item.

If you get this, it's important to sell at a strategic time, too. Consider selling when you're about to buy at least the 4th main item or further, and selling it (for around 500 gold) will allow you to get that next item.

Item scouting/monitoring:

If you or a teammate gets close enough to the enemy, you can use the Scoreboard (default key binding is Tab) to review what the enemy team has itemized. The first chance to do this is potentially before the first minion wave even spawns. Jumping parties get you close enough to the enemy team to see everything they've bought (and vice versa). This is risky, though. Best strategy is to have ONE teammate get just close enough to see items, and back off. Hopefully, that god has a good escape so if someone attacks, they have a good chance of getting away.

What this does is allow you to see if an enemy Ares, Hades, Tyr or Ymir got Blink (in which case, you play a bit conservatively and don't bunch up together)...or if your team has Ares, to find out who to focus because they didn't buy Purification.

Mid and late-game, I'd call this item monitoring. A couple of examples...

Enemy team has multiple assassins/hunters? Are they building crit and/or lifesteal items? As a tank, you should consider Hide of the Nemean Lion to reflect some damage back to them. There are other counters to lifesteal, including Brawler's Beat Stick, Divine Ruin, and Curse, and you can, of course, built anti-attack speed items as well.

Multiple guardians and/or warriors? Are they building lots of protection against you, or is only one? Then it's time to consider how much penetration you'll want to get, and talk to your team about who you want to focus (so they'll be easier to kill).

You should always check enemy builds during buying periods to counter-build and maximize your effectiveness. Others on your team may not, so you can also throw out suggestions or give a heads-up.

Skill Prioritizing (emphasizing stronger abilities first):

You start at level 5. Great! Activate all 4 abilities, and make one of them level 2.

But that doesn't necessarily maximize your effectiveness. Here's a couple of examples:

Bastet has a unique skill in Pounce, as it allows you to jump in, do some damage, AND JUMP BACK OUT. For effective, quick damage, level your ult, and split the rest between Pounce and Razor Whip. Don't touch Declaw to start, because its damage is a bit lower, and the slow isn't that effective, early game, since the towers are so close. Jump in, whip them (preferably a squishy mage with weak escape), unleash your ult, and jump back to relative safety. (And, if I jump in and position myself well, I can spawn the cats behind the enemy, trapping them and preventing them from retreating)

Hel has the single, most effective group-heal in the game. Level Repulse / Inspire to 3, put 1 point into Hinder / Cleanse for support, and the last into her ult to shift stances. If you get focused early game, you can quickly shift to her Decay stance, as Repulse provides some pretty decent damage at level 3.

Similar to Hel, Ra does NOT belong on the front lines, and really should just be healing (and maybe wave-clearing). You shouldn't need Divine Light to start. Instead, put one point into the ult, one into wave clear ( Celestial Beam), and 3 into Solar Blessing, to maximize healing. If you're the only wave clear/ranged god, split both at level 2.

Skill prioritizing should continue throughout the leveling process, as you choose the abilities that make your god most effective.

Point Skipping: Without going into detail, the idea is to delay putting a point into a skill at key levels, in order to max it out at the next level and put that additional point into an ability you actually want (avoiding dumping a point into an ability you don't want/need at that time). This Hi-Rez "Know Your Enemy" YouTube video on Scylla explains the concept well (starts around the half-way point).

...use them wisely. Many players just see the minions as something simply to clear (and last hitting for extra $$$), with little thought to anything else. With no backing, and especially when your team doesn't have a healer, it's important to consider what else the minions can do for your team.

First Things First...$$$ / XP:

Remember, minions are the constant resource, providing your team with both gold and XP. Remember also that this is partially proximity-based, meaning if you're too far from the minion wave and didn't contribute any damage, you're not getting the benefit.

Consider your entire team when you've got an opportunity to clear the wave. For example, if some of your teammates are just coming back from the dead, and you're in the middle of the lane with no pressure from the enemy team, you may want to back off, letting the minion wave get closer and allowing your team to catch up and get the resources. Clearing the wave by yourself only benefits YOU.

Regaining Health:

When your team has no healer, regaining health in any way possible is of paramount importance. Meditation, even when your entire team has it, has a long CD and provides only 15% of your max health per shot. Where else can you get that infusion of health? The minions, of course!

Lifesteal Items: Depending on the god and build, lifesteal items provide both boxing potential and a way to regain health from the minion wave. This is most commonly seen on hunters (e.g. Asi, Bloodforge), and may be picked up by mages as well (e.g. Bancroft's Talon, Divine Ruin, Polynomicon, Pythagorem's Piece). Just as important as checking the enemies' builds, take a peek at your own teammates' items. If you've got full health and they're hurt, you should really back off and let them clear.

Also, pay close attention to when a teammate says "I'm building stacks!" or asks for the wave. This may be the reason.

Lifesteal Abilities: Some gods have built-in abilities that help them regain health. Here are some examples (I might have missed some):

Since Assault is random, you're going to run into situations where your team has no natural tanks. In these situations, it's best to consider who on your team might sub as a tank (by building protections instead of the more standard damage). Assassins generally fit this role better than hunters or mages, because they are the only other melee class.

Why would you necessarily even need a tank in the first place? The biggest function a tank provides is distraction. It's difficult to focus on hitting that enemy 70 feet from you when you've got someone else hitting you in the face. It takes focus away from the squishier gods, giving them more time to deal damage the best way they can. In order to be that distraction and not just turn into cannon fodder, you need to be able to survive close encounters. Hence, a tank.

Note: this isn't to say that if there are no tanks, someone NEEDS to act as one. If there are 5 mages (which happens, rarely), it's probably best to just build normally (though maybe all should get at least one protection item), use teamwork and strategy, and hope for the best.

If your team has more than one assassin, consider their skill sets...CC and sustain are good, as are abilities that hit at close range and/or increase effectiveness with basic attacks. My basic suggestion for building a tanky assassin is to base the build off of my Warrior template, with tendencies toward protection items.

Which assassins might fit the role? Here are some of my thoughts on those I think could work in a pinch, and a grade I've arbitrarily assigned, BECAUSE GRADES. FYI, I've tanked as both Thor and Nemesis with relative success from a limited sample size.

Arachne's passive, Predator, benefits more from staying in a fight against a continually weakening enemy, as her damage goes up as the enemy's health goes down. Venomous Bite is based on basic melee attacks, with strong sustain/lifesteal utility. Cocoon enhances basic attacks with enhanced speed. Tangled Web can be cast right at your feet, to add some further targets for the enemy to worry about. And finally, if things aren't looking good, her ult, Night Crawler, is a perfect escape. I don't know how her health and natural protections scale, but she sounds like a decent fit.

My grade: B-

Bakasura's passive, Insatiable Hunger, enhances his mobility and attack speed as enemies die. In the middle of a scrum, he can Eat Minions to heal himself a bit. His Butcher Blades adds true damage, bypassing protection, which means he can tear through enemy tanks. And his ult, Regurgitate, CCs enemy gods in an AOE, as well as making his basic attack a cone-AOE as well.

I've actually played him as a tank, and though we lost that round (their team had 2 or 3 tanks, whereas I had to act as one), I think he worked pretty well, when built with a lot of protection items.

My Grade: B

Fenrir's passive, Unbound Runes, is just a setup for his other abilities. They're activated by basic attacks, though, so staying in melee will help that. Unchained is an initiation/escape ability, but at full runes, can be used to stun for 1 second (AND reduce cooldown by half)...not bad. Seething Howl increases his power and lifesteal, which is perfect for boxing and sustain with basic attacks. Brutalizedoes huge damage, and at full runes, damages nearby gods as well...try using right after activating Seething Howl for some incredible health regen. And finally, his ult, Ragnarok, does good damage, and he has to be on top of another god to grab them....full runes doubles his protections too. All in all, a pretty good melee kit.

My grade: A-

Her incredible potential for sustain is via her passive, Marked for Death. If she can focus and kill her target, she immediately regains 80% of her max health. Otherwise, she's got a short 1 second CC/stun in Incense and some added lifesteal in Lash. Her ult, Destruction, is rad, as you can't die while it's active, but it's mostly going to be on cooldown, so you have to really rely on her two other skills and attempt to focus her passive's target when possible. Can be difficult if you have to go through a couple of front-line tanks to get to them.

My grade: Situational B/C+ (a B only when she's able to focus her passive's target...may be hard to single out that target, who might have a good escape, when, as a tank-ish, you really need to worry about the entire team). Keep in mind, building tanky means she's not likely to have much crit, and so won't be a killing machine, reducing the occurrence of that passive proc.

Loki is squishier than most...guess this might work though, as was described to me in a Reddit conversation (sounds like a pretty unique situation, and maybe a really good player). Not going to count the passive much, because your job needs to be to stay visible and more in the middle of things as a tank. Vanish is really only a good escape in this circumstance. So, Decoy. I guess you can pop it in the middle of a teamfight and use it as a block, but others can easily disengage from you. Aimed Strike does great damage with a 3 second slow, but that's more to prevent an enemy from retreating. His ult, Assassinate, is a quick 1 second stun, with good damage. This kit doesn't scream "tank me!"

My grade: D

Female Odin, anyone? Nemesis's passive, Scales of Fate is sort of like protection against a single target, as her basic attacks steal the enemy's power. Swift Vengeance is a chase/escape ability with pretty good damage, but really doesn't provide CC, protections, lifesteal, etc...sort of like a dash version of Odin's Lunge. Slice and Dice is where things start to look up, from its pretty good slow for 2 seconds in a cone, so you can hit multiple people ( Odin's Gungnir's Might, anyone?). Retribution is the skill that puts her side by side with Odin, though. Combines damage reflect and up to a 500 health shield (a la Raven Shout). And finally, her ult, Divine Judgement. This is an insult to a healthy tank. Takes 50% of their current health (so hit a high health god), and transfers 50% of their protections from them (for 5 seconds) to you (for 8 seconds). Geez.

My grade: A. She seems to be the best candidate. Consider also that when she was originally released, she WAS a warrior. So, build her tanky, and make sure you get CDR. She's not going to do much damage, but that's okay...leave that to the others.

Thanatos's passive Harvester of Souls is a great sustainer, as long as you're the one doing the killing. Death Scythe just does so much damage, with great lifesteal and a minor 20% slow on top of it. Scent of Death is more a chaser/retreater, but the added penetration can help take down someone you're boxing. Soul Reap provides good damage and an okay silence (max 1.5 seconds, which isn't huge) in a large cone. Hovering Death gives you an easy kill when you land it, which will trigger your passive health regen, but it takes you out of the fight for a bit as you're flying overhead.

My grade: B-...no awesome CC, but good damage even when building tanky. Get CDR items.

Please please PLEASE consider any and all of the below items when you see a healer on the other team.

Curse

This Relic is the single most effective anti-healing item in the game. Enemy 40% speed reduction and healing is reduced by 65% for 5 seconds! Ask at least one person on your team to get this, and hit as many enemies as you can at the beginning of a big push.

The only protection item, it gives an aura of reduced healing/regen by 25%...if you're close. Does provide high magical protection (80) and a chunk of health (200). Thus, most suitable for guardians and warriors, or perhaps assassins, if the other team is almost all magical.

Location Scenarios (with consideration for dying and use of minions):

Lane pushing:

This is the term used when your team is pushing forward, usually with the help of minions (to take the damage), to destroy the two towers, the phoenix, and eventually the titan.

The essential concept here, though, is to know when to push forward and when to back off.

It is obviously best when your team just completed a deicide (complete wipe of the enemy team). With no one to contest you, any tower will go down quickly, without damage to your team, as long as you use the minion wave. However, depending on how healthy your team is, you may try to get a few hits on a tower even in the presence of 1-2 enemies (especially if they're low on health and afraid of dying). Just be cognizant of how much damage you and your team can take from the tower, as the tower will ignore minions and target YOU the second you hit an enemy within its boundary.

However, I've also been on many a team that had already gotten a tower down, then got a deicide, pushed and destroyed the 2nd tower, maybe got the phoenix, and tried to go for broke with the Titan. NONONO. You NEED to watch the enemy respawn timers! I've gotten flamed for backing off when they rush the titan with a death wish. If you're aware and your team isn't paying attention, tell them to back off...VRR "Retreat!" Otherwise, the enemy team is going to do to you what you JUST DID to them.

The best strategy is to ALWAYS watch the respawn timers, destroy what you can safely, and then back off to regroup. Heal up, wait for any dead allies to respawn, and maybe incorporate lane freezing (see below) until your team is ready to go again.

Lane freezing:

A simple example of this is as follows:

It's still early game, and all towers are still standing, but your team has hit the enemy hard...your side has 10 kills, they have 3, and they are scared and demoralized. So what do they do? Camp from the relative safety of their tower, clearing minions only when they're at the border of the tower.

Don't let them get easy gold. Instead, freeze the lane. The concept here is to let both sides' minions attack each other without intervention/damage from your team. So you back off to about the mid-point between the two towers where the minion wave meets, where your proximity allows you to gain XP/gold every time an enemy minion dies. Don't attack the minions! If the enemy wants some of that too, they're going to have to come out.

Past the point of drawing them out, you can even try boxing them in by pressuring them with your presence. Stand in front of the minion wave when they meet, and have your team use poke abilities and general presence to keep them away.

You should do this EVERY TIME a team camps their tower/phoenix. It's a slower and safer method, but it'll pay off.

Suicide Backing (and dying strategically):

The idea behind suicide backing is to replace the minion wave and tank the tower/phoenix, allowing your team to damage/destroy it at an opportune time. At the same time, your death without the intervention of the enemy denies them XP/gold. The proper execution of this would be if the majority of the following conditions are met:

The one suicide backing has built up a small hoard of gold (a minimum to buy at least 1 complete item, usually in the range of 2-3k gold).

The enemies are all dead, or there are only (e.g.) 1 or 2, and they're low health and no threat to damage tag you and chance dying (more on that below).

The majority of your team is alive, or is respawning shortly, rendering your death acceptable...they should be able to at least hold their own tower by playing conservatively, while waiting for you to respawn.

Although it might be impressive to have a score of 12 kills, 0 deaths, and 25 assists, holding on to 5k+ gold does no good for your team.

Strategic dying (but maybe not dying!) includes suicide backing, but can also be used in different ways by select gods with appropriate abilities. Some examples:

You're Loki, and everyone but you has been killed, while the enemy has only lost 1. They're pushing forward with the minion wave to blow through your 2nd tower and maybe your phoenix before everyone respawns. Use his Vanish ability to sneak through their lines, appearing behind them and running toward their tower. There's inevitably at least 1 enemy that is greedy and will go after you, with a possibility of drawing more of them away from their push. Although you're destined to die (unless you can sneak BACK), you've given your team some extra time to respawn and recover.

You're Mercury, and your last push has almost killed their titan. The phoenix is still down for a bit, and both teams are fighting relatively in the center of the map. Use a full range Sonic Boom to blow through their team, get behind them, and attempt to finish off the titan before they can catch you. A bit risky, especially if they have a god that can ult and close the gap (e.g. Thor, Thanatos, Apollo), but can be worth it.

You're Apollo, and your team is being pushed under your tower. You've taken a lot of damage, have no lifesteal, and the second you step out from behind the tower, you know you're going to be toast. So you stay back, doing NOTHING, and you're no freaking good to your team. Instead, go Across The Sky and land near an enemy tower. You'll die, but you won't give them the XP/gold, and when you respawn, you'll be able to contribute to the fight again.

Damage Tagging:

This is a counter to suicide backing. If you're in a situation where you are the only one alive on your team, and they have 3+ still alive on their team, they may push to damage/destroy your tower. In damage tagging, the minimum you have to do is hit them once with a damaging ability or basic attack. If they then die to the tower, you get the kill, the XP, and the gold, instead of letting it go to the ether. You should attempt this only if the majority of the following conditions are met:

You've got enough health that if you get hit a couple of times, you're not likely to die.

You've got some form of CC or escape ability.

The enemy taking the damage isn't close to full health, and/or an enemy healer is not present.

You don't want to try this if they're all pretty much at full health. Even if you hit them, your chances of getting a kill are low, and you're exposing yourself to a potential gank unnecessarily. Also consider the potential presence of an enemy healer, like Ra or Hel. They may be able to keep their teammates alive, turning you into dead.

The Word of Thoth: A SMITE Mechanics Guide: Great individual article from Flareb00t on some informative details about the calculations and formulas for damage, protections, etc. (A bit outdated, but much still applies)

Here is a quick list of some of the abbreviations/terms that I use in this guide:

ADC: Attack Damage Carry. Refers to a god (usually a Hunter) whose main form of attack is the basic one (left click!), and whose effectiveness usually peaks late-game, from having a full item build centered around max damage potential.

AOE: Area Of Effect. Refers to abilities that have the ability to hit an area, rather than a single target.

CC: Crowd Control. An effect from an item or ability that limits or prevents an opponent from moving or taking action. Examples include slow, cripple, freeze, and silence.

CDR: CoolDown Reduction. Usually from items, this reduces the time it takes for your abilities to become available again after previous use

HP5: Health (Hit Points) regenerated per every 5 seconds

MP5: Mana (Mana Points) regenerated per every 5 seconds

RNG: Random Number Generator. Term used for abilities (especially crit items) that have a percent chance to activate. Sometimes frowned upon as this brings a bit of luck into an otherwise skill-based game.

Tank: generally of the Warrior or Guardian class, built mainly with protection items

Bruiser: generally of the Warrior or Guardian class, built with both protection and damage items. Can also include an Assassin built with protections.

Squishy: Low HP gods (usually Assassins, Hunters, and Mages)

Magical (gods):Guardians and Mages

Physical (gods):Assassins, Hunters and Warriors

Penetration: A stat that helps bypass an enemy's inherent or item-based protection. I tend to lump penetration (e.g. Jotunn's Wrath) and protection reduction (e.g. The Executioner) in the same category for ease of consideration regarding general function. It's a lot more complex than that, so I suggest reading this article by Professor Proxy in your spare time.

The Overarching Series

Individual God Guides

Bacchus:
An Alcoholic's Chugging Guide

Freya:
Aurora
Gory-Alis

Ganesha:
Selflessly
Gifting Kills

Shifu Guan Yu:
The Battle
Master

Loki: The Backstabbing Bastard

Medusa: Getting Everyone Stoned

Conclusion

So that's it! Thanks for reading! I hope it's been helpful and enjoyable. Please feel free to provide feedback...let me know if you think my build structure sucks (and provide reasons why, and propose an alternative), or if you would like me to add some specific content, or have suggestions on presentation/formatting.

And okay, the jumping party at the beginning (before minions spawn) is fun. But my suggestion...don't tempt the jerks that will ruin your party before it even starts!

Yeah, thanks for confirming both this and shamans. I already updated the guide so that's why it now mentions gauntlet, along with the others. I'd assumed shamans was purchasable, so kept it off the list. Now you confirmed, I won't have to do any further updates.

Gauntlet of Thebes (AURA: Balanced Protections): Provides a small balanced protection aura and a good chunk of health and protections for you. Best if your team has a healer. This is the new and improved version of

You da man, Bran. I wish I could purchase Thebes in assault...From what I can tell, the only stacking items that you can purchase are those that "evolve" like the starter blessings and Rage, Thebes being the exception for some reason.

Oops, I screwed up. I breezed past the basic attack builds for Sol/Chronos. Thanks for taking the time to review. I like that build. I agree also with focusing on their abilities first and getting into basic attack function late. I'll use that build as the example if you don't mind. Will give credit in the update section at the top.

For Freya, I do find Specialist's Blessing (which I do suggest) to be a weird item, but one that fits in the end. Although she doesn't heal allies, she should still get stacks quickly, and I'm pairing it with Hastened Ring early for that extra MS and the AS, which as you know she needs to do any reasonable amount of damage. Also like the CDR that comes with it. I strongly would prefer Ring, personally, over Pythag's, though I can see how that has some appeal for immediate team benefit. Guess I'm just selfish that way =P

I've honestly never done a Hunter's Blessing + Asi start. I like the lifesteal potential out of it, along with extra cash for whatever. Since some damage is going to come from abilities early game when my basic attack DPS isn't all that great (safer to poke, item reliant), I'll expect Blessing to be fully stacked before I even die (unless I start like *** and die quickly). So the inherently high power from Bloodforge is a better balance for overall DPS (along with that power having at least some effect on scaling of damaging abilities). With stacking items not being available, BF has just been my go-to, and I'm very comfortable with it.

The next time I play an AA hunter, I'll try out the Hunter's Blessing/ Asi start because I'm not crazy about buying Bloodforge first and spending all but 200 of my starting gold. I would definitely keep it for ability hunters like Skadi and Hou Yi.

I would like to bring to your attention how powerful Lotus Crown is as a first item, in this game mode, on Hel or Terra (due to their huge AoE heals). I've played a couple games with this, and it has allowed my team to be very aggressive early. +20 dual protections is A LOT early game.

Getting Lotus Crown instead of boots or BoV on Hel hurts her survival chances, so stay in the back and pop heals/use your #2 to debuff/buff enemies/allies. Lotus Crown also includes MP5, so you won't be running out of Mana too fast.

RNG hasn't been kind to me, but I have played a few games with Ra using the Lotus Crown and I think it makes a difference. It's especially great when an enemy team has an assassin like Loki who's gunning for you. I think I pissed one off because he only managed to kill me once or twice during a ten minute match (his team surrendered) and he died every time he got near me. I'll try this on Hel and/or Terra if I ever get either again...

I'll try it out. I agree it has good potential, but it all depends on what you prefer. In my case, I think I value starting with CDR for most healers, more than anything else. I guess I would consider this if there were 4+ physical gods, 3+ if they were all high damage. The MP5 isn't too bad either, and the cheap price would still allow me to get at least Sands of Time.

I'll try it out as well the next time I'm playing either of those lovely ladies. As for Aphrodite and Chang'e, I'd rather go with boots and cdr first because neither has a real good escape and Aphro really needs to keep up with her target to heal them.

Aphro doesnt use lotus crown well due to how she can only apply it to one other person at a time. Other utility items like gem of iso, spear of the magus, or divine ruin will generally serve you better

Funny enough, Cupid USED to be classified in Assault as a healer, I believe...this was back in...S1 early S2, I think. At a point, they dropped him from that status, because his heal was just not anywhere near that of normal healers, especially pre-heal-nerf Hel, who was just stupid.

I didn't know Artio wasn't classified as a healer...I made an assumption. As of right now, it looks like you're right, and she isn't classified as such.

Ahhh, that explanation makes a lot of sense, thanks for the reference. Basically, it's conditional to the same degree as Hades. But Cupid doesn't fall under that condition, so it's good that they didn't just use that definition to classify an Assault healer.

FYI, the new guide is less specific in many ways...previous versions had a more rigid build order, with specific items at specific times. This one is more open, with easier summaries of item choices for specific roles. Should still be effective, but I'm trying a different style. Way easier to update, also.

I understand what you mean. It's usually hard to update guides when there is a mess of BB-Code and information on that black screen. Oh god, I wish we had comments/notes on the coding screen. As far as I can tell, it looks as effective as before.

Also, don't people BM you when you build Watcher's on assassins? I got Kali some days ago and I was thinking of buying it but I was too afraid of my team at the same time :(

But that's just one of the cons of assault. I still love this mode, though. It's my most played one after Conquest. I love the strange matchups that happen. Like, today I got Cernunnos, on a team with Medusa, Artemis, Neith, and Isis. I thought we were gonna lose...

I found the guide. It took me a minute. I agree this mode is challenging and it's not that bad. I used to cringe when someone wanted to play assault. Last night Branmuffin choose the game and we played assault. I didn't mind playing the game but I got Nike after trying to trade with Bran which didn't work I was stuck with her. I wasn't sure how good I would do which I didn't do great but I learned alot more about Nike and now I might try her out in a regular mode. So all in all it worked out good because it opened my eyes to a new god. So overall assault is great mode and want to play it more

If you use Deathbane and your first hit is a critical, the 2 following hits will have an increased damage. If you're lucky enough those hits will also critical hit, allowing for massive damage, and increased damage on your following attack(s) after Deathbane.

Just a quick note regarding Soul Reaver: I recently had an assault match where both mages and the guardian on enemy team bought Soul Reaver first item and my god they were hard to deal with. Ymir would blink in and freeze, then the 2 mages would smack you with an ability and you were just erased. For enemies who survive your initial burst, you've still got a big advantage with basically doubled mana pool so you can keep spamming abilities. It's definitely niche, but with the right team comp it's a monster.

Yikes, that sounds sort of horrifying! (Thanks for the comment by the way) I can see how an item start like that could be demoralizing to the other team. As you said, though, it's niche, and you can't really control your team comp or rolling the best gods that can do enough damage early like that. There's give and take on that, too...aggressive start on 3 gods means they're going to be squishy, without much mobility, longer CD, etc. I've never come across that myself, but I guess I'm sort of glad I didn't!

The biggest piece of advice I'd like to give anyone wanting to learn how to play assault is this: enemy minions are a resource for your team. Almost every game I have a teammate who puts themselves into a bad position, rushing up to the edge of enemy tower radius to burn mana on an ability to clear the wave. Not only does that cost you mana and make you a prime target for a quick cc-fueled death that will likely give an assist to at least 2 enemies, but it also costs all of your teammates that waves' gold and xp.

Hmmm...I have a bit of mention on denying minion xp/gold to enemies in the tips section under lane freezing, but I don't think I have anything general on this subject. Thanks...I'll consider adding this.

Furthermore, many gods have passives that rely on them hitting enemies. Fenrir, Cupid, Poseidon, Agni, etc all want to at least hit the minions to get their passives charged. Bakasura and Zhong Kui are a lot more useful to your team if they get to kill minions. Yet every damn time there's an Aphrodite on my team they rush up to enemy tower to lay down a strip of birds on the minion wave before it can get close to the rest of our team. And that's not even taking into consideration lifesteal items. I get that you want to get xp and gold, but letting your hunter regain a significant amount of health and letting all your teammates share in the xp and gold will really do a lot more for you.

Yup, I see this a lot too. Saw it last night, in fact, and with both me and our Hades screaming to allow Tyr to heal up a bit, or Hades when he was practically dead, our other teammates still kept clearing most of the waves. Thankfully, we still won in the end, but it was close...

In the lategame, it seems the mentality completely changes. When our phoenix is down and the enemy has fire minions, teammates run right past them to chase kills. Meanwhile our titan is taking a significant amount of damage with no enemy gods anywhere near it.

Understanding how to utilize enemy minions to help your team is a pretty basic skill in smite, and in assault it's amplified since there's only one lane.

EDIT: Also, Hades can put out some pretty significant heals to your team if you let him 2/3 the minions. A few different gods can heal themselves significantly (especially Ratatoskr) if you let some minions get to them. Basically, if you're pushed out further than your teammates to kill minions on your own, you're doing it wrong.

I hear you, bud. Funny how that goes. Thanks for this too, and I'll see about adding further info on minions.

Though I guess, in the general scheme, if you don't go below 50% health, it is semi-permanent. Just weird choice there...

This has nothing to do with the fact that stack could be lost or not.
In Assault, stacking items have always been banned.
The only exceptions were after patches which changed and item to include stacks.

Heartseeker and Doom Orb both changed multiple times between a stacking item or not.
There was a period where these 2 items were stacking from kills and assist (like Hide of the Urchin) up to 10 stacks, losing half upon death.
During that time, these 2 items were available in Assault, as they did not require stacking from killing minions.

Then, Doom Orb changed back to standard stacking items, up to 50 stacks.
For about 1 month, Doom Orb was available in Assault, but it was not intended and they fixed it.
During that month, Doom Orb was the best item to use for a mage because of that.

Also, they changed Heartseeker to build "stacks" up to 5, but stacking from basic attack hit and not killing minions.
Therefore, Heartseeker is still available in Assault, and will remain as long as this item is not changed again.

So, basically, the rule to ban an item is that it must not rely on killing minions.
I read somewhere (I don't know where) that HiRez created that rule to prevent a player getting all the extra farming just because he has a stacking item.
Assault being the casualest mode among the casual modes, they wanted to avoid last hitting competition between the members of the same team.

In my opinion, they should have allowed stacking items in Assault.
Because many gods have a core item that is a stacking item.
Because Transcendence and Book of Thoth would be incredibly useful in this mode with their large mana pool, therefore allowing us to take other relic than Meditation.
Because physical lifesteal (a very useful stat in Assault) now only has 2 options to choose from.

If they wanted to remove the last hitting competition, they could have changed Watcher's Gift a bit, and add that an ally last hitting also counts for you, for stacking purpose.

SmiteFire & Smite

Smite is an online battleground between mythical gods. Players choose from a selection of gods, join session-based arena combat and use custom powers and team tactics against other players and minions. Smite is inspired by Defense of the Ancients (DotA) but instead of being above the action, the third-person camera brings you right into the combat. And, instead of clicking a map, you use WASD to move, dodge, and fight your way through the detailed graphics of SMITE's battlegrounds.